Ashden Invites Indian Climate Trailblazers for 2022 Awards

Climate solutions charity Ashden has invited Indian low carbon entrepreneurs and projects with a focus on 'climate action at work' accentuating green jobs and skills to apply for three international awards ‘2022 Ashden Awards’ which will accelerate innovative climate solutions in the public, private and community sectors.  

The entries are open to all, however, the awards particularly welcome entries from organisations led by or benefiting women.

The last date for application submission is March 15, 2022, with the winners announced in late October, and for the eligibility criteria interested applicants can check Ashden’s website. 

Moreover, the entry is free and each winner will receive a grant of up to £25,000 (INR 25,25,850 or USD 33,345.62), while all finalists will benefit from publicity and networking opportunities – including connections to investors, funders, and the media.  

This year’s categories include ‘Energy access skills’, which will recognise the work of organisations training and upskilling workers to install clean energy systems; ‘Energising refugee livelihoods’, which will award organisations creating economic opportunities for refugees through access to clean energy, or boosting skills and training in this area; and ‘Energising agriculture’, which will seek out organisations doing exemplary work in decarbonising farming.

Entrants would be judged by expert panels on their ability to cut emissions, as well as their contribution to a fairer world. Award criteria will reward innovation that reduces inequality and transfers power to marginalised people.  

Commenting on the awards, Harriet Lamb, CEO of Ashden, said, “this year Ashden will accelerate the frontline innovators delivering new green jobs and livelihoods or training people in low carbon projects. The Ashden Awards boost the most exciting innovators, but also highlight the big changes needed to drive progress across society.” 

“We have had some outstanding Ashden Award winners from India in the past and really look forward to this year’s applicants”, said Lamb.  

Two of last year’s six international Ashden Award winners were from India, including Mahila Housing Trust which supports poor women in India’s cities to take up practical and affordable home cooling solutions, and the second one is Bharatiya Vikas Trust (BVT), which trains bank workers, to offer loans for sustainable energy, particularly to women customers.  

As an Ashden Award winner, Sudipta Ghosh, Principal Consultant, Bhartiya Vikas Trust, said, “The Ashden Award has brought BVT more visibility and helped us in building new partnerships across banks, government departments and funding partners. This has helped in broadening the impact of the work we are doing. It has also instilled a sense of pride amongst the employees by acknowledging their hard work of many years.” 

“We urge all climate innovators to look at the application criteria and see if their initiative could be boosted by an Ashden Award,” said Lamb. 

Ashden is a UK-based climate solutions charity with a mission to accelerate transformative climate innovations and build a more just world.  Ashden helps tell the stories of climate and energy pioneers in the UK, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The Ashden Awards boost outstanding climate solutions. Since 2001, more than 245 ground-breaking organisations have won an Ashden Award, recognising their vital role in using innovative solutions to climate change, poverty alleviation and community resilience. The Awards back radical ideas delivering lower emissions and a fairer world, with grants and development support on offer to winners and finalists.